Sectional venetian blind



H. W. FERGUSON ET AL SECTIONAL VENETIAN BLIND Dec. 25, 1951 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed May 11, 1949 HAROLD wFsnausom 80L SCHWARTZ THEIR 4770131 1951' H. w. FERGUSON ETAL SECTIONAL VENETIAN BLIND 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 11, 1949 IN VEN TOR. HAROLD WFERGUSOIV 80L SGHMRTZ THE/I? ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 25, 1951 PATENT OFFICE Q 7 Brmn I 7 Harold W.- Eerguson and Sol Schwartz; Rochester N Y;

This invention relates to Venetian blinds and, more particularly, to the sectional variety having their superposed louvers, or slats. arranged in superposed groups or sections adaptedto be tilted independently of. one another for selectively varying the amount of transmitted light and visibility at diiferent portions of a window. The known sectional blinds have commonly lacked full independence in the tilting. adjustment o'f-the slats of one section relative to another, orhave involved complicated, cumbersome and expensive constructions, or had other objectionable features tending to' limit their general adoption and use, and one object of the present invention is toprovide an improved blind of the character indicated having a more simple. practical and convenient type of construction;

Another object is to provide such a blind in which the slats of each section may be tiltably adjusted with full independence ofthe tilting adjustment or the slats of other sections so as to affordamore adaptable and convenient control of the admitted light.

Another object is the provision of a blind of the above character in which the slats of each section may be adjusted by directmanual engagement,. so as to obviate the necessity for tilting control cords, as well as for guide pulleys, gears and similar devices in the head casing. for accommodating such cords. I

A- further object is to provide a blind having the above advantages and inwhich the slats of all of the sections may be elevated and lowered by a common lift cord means to'variably expose the window opening.

Still a further object is to provide a Venetian blind construction which is more simple, adaptable andconvenient to operate and pleasing in appearance.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements andcombinations of parts; all as will be hereinafter more fully de- Claims. (01. 160 115) scribed,- the novel features beingv pointed outin the claims at-the end of the specification.-

. 21 Fig. 4jis a view similar to Fig. 3-, but showing a reversely tllt'e'd' arrangement of the slats or the two-sections; V I

Fig. 5' is an ei ilaifged side elevation with the slats lowered andall tilted to'fully open position;

Fi 6 is an enlarged, sectional" elevation on the line li -6- in Fig. 5; showing in'more' detail the pendent collapsible connection between sections;

Fig. 7" is a view similar to a portion of Fig; 5, but Showing a modified form of connection between sections;

I Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7) but showing a further modifiedconnection betweensections;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged; perspective, detailed view of a modified means of attachment between the side tapes of aladder tape and a slat, and

Fig. 10 is a view' similar to Fig. 9', but showing a further modification of' this feature;

The invention is; embodied in the present instance, by way' of illustration, in a Venetian blind having a head support, or casing, adapted to be positioned at the topof a window flrame and comprising a fixed head plate or board I 5 pivotally supporting a rocker bar it for tilting the slats and through which cords" l! for elevating the slats are passed upwardly around pulleys or other guide means and to One" side Of the blind within convenient reach, as well understood in theart. The rocker bar It is preferably provided" with studs prdjcting'lfrom the centers of its OppdSltendsand'plvbtallymdllntd in black ets l8 depending from the plate [5, to support the bar for tiltingnioveinent' about a central loh'gl tudinal axis;

The su er osed blinniouvers, or slats; 19; are made of one'of the thin and light materials conifiidlily fis'd for such purposes and 6f generally rectangular shape; as shown, and are arranged in two or moresuperpos'ed groups or sections, the slats of each section being supported by a pair ofspaced ladder tapes of'l'mown construction; one located adjacent each; side of the blind. Since these ladder tapes are the same in construction, adescription of one will sufilce for both. Thus, thelef-t hand tape of the upper pair (Fig.1) comprisesafrontside tape 20-anda rear side tape; 2 I, these tapes being connected together by cross or rung tapes and 23 of narrower width and positioned alternately adjacent opposite edges of the-side'- tape's, as shown. and as wellaunderstood in the a-rt. The upper ends' of the side tapes are tacked or otherwise secured to tli'e top ofthe rocker-bar It; as at 24; while thelower ends: of these side tapesare riveted or siiziilarly fixed: to-

the-lowest slat 25 of the upper section.- this slat being provided at the centers of its opposite ends with longitudinally projecting studs, 26 and 21 (Figs. 1 and 3), the stud 21 carrying a turning knob 28 by which it may be tilted. Such tilting of slat 25 serves to effect opposite vertical movements of the side tapes 20 and 2| and to tilt the rocker bar It and all of the intermediate slats of the upper section and these slats may be tilted in either direction from the horizontal to project the transmitted lightupwardly, or downwardly, or to close that portion of the blind.

The slats of the lower section, indicated generally at 29, are supported by a pair of spaced ladder tapes similar to those described above for supporting the upper section. These lowerladder tapes, one adjacent each side of the blind, are the same in construction comprising, as shown in Fig. 1, front side tapes 30 and rear side tapes 3| connected by staggered cross or rung tapes, .32.

and 33. The upper ends of these side tapes are fixed to the upper slat 34 of this section andtheir lower ends are fixed to the-bottom board 35. Means are provided for pendently and collapsibly connecting the lower section of slats to the upper section, as will now be described.

The upper slat 34 of the lower section is provided at the centers of its ends with longitudinally extending studs 36 and 31 (Figs. 1 and 3), the stud 33 carrying a turning knob 38 by means of which the slat 34 and all of the slats of the lower section and the bottom board 35 may be tilted in either direction from a horizontal position, independently of the slats of the upper section. Thi tilting support ofthe slats of the lower section is accomplished by a pivotal and collapsible connection between the corresponding end studs of the adjacent slats 25 and 34 of the upper and lower sections. This connection may take the form of slotted links 39 and 40 (Figs. 1 and 3) pivotally and slidably engaging the studs so that either of the connected slats may be turned independently of the other, and the lower slat may be raised in the collapsing of the blind as shown in Fig. 2.- The preferred details of this form of connection are best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 from which it will be seen that stud 26 of the slat 25 is extended beyond the link 39 and provided with a washer M. The slot in the link is terminated above the lower end of the link which is provided with a bearing opening for the stud 36 of the slat 34 and a spring friction washer 42 is provided between the end of the link and the knob 38 to yieldably hold the parts in alinement. As shown, this turning knob 38 of the lower slat 34 is located on .the opposite side of the blind from the turning k'nob28of the upper slat 25, the connection being otherwisethe', same for both sides of the blind. In cases where the slats are of unusual length, they may be supported by a flexible, central connection with each other, such as a light chain 43, or other suitable flexible ele-' ment. 7

To cover the discontinuity of the vertical side tapes, the lower ends of these tapes of'the upper section, instead of being fixed directly to its lower slat 25, may be connected to the slat by anextra piece of tape 44 (Fig. 5) fixed to the side tape and to the slat, the end of the side tape being extended and hanging freely downwardly, a at 45, so as to overlap the top of the side tape of the lower slat section. Or the lower ends of the side tapes of the upper section may each have a tape flap 46 (Fig. 5) fixed thereto and allowed todepend and overlap the top of the corresponding side tape of the lower section, as shown,,or it may be preferred, as a matter of appearance, to coverto approach the upper.

the gap on one side of the blind in one of these ways and the gap on the other side of the blind in the other way, as shown in Fig. 5.

The above described connection between the adjacent slats of the upper and lower sections may take the modified form shown in Fig. 7 in which a pair of links, 41 and 48, are pivotally mounted at one end of the studs, as 26 and 36, respectively, the ,links being pivotally connected to each other at 43. 'These links afford independent tilting movement between the slats 25 and 34 and when the slats are elevated to collapsed position, the links are moved pivotally to overlie one another and permit the lower slat Or this connection may have the further modified form shown in Fig. 8

inwhich afiexible cord 5|] is provided at its ends vided with snap fasteners 55, of any known and suitable variety these modifications serving to provide more convenient detachability for removing and cleaning the tapes.

It is evident from the above description that the invention affords a sectional construction of an exceedingly simple, eflicient and convenient nature by means of which the slats of either section may be tiltedin either direction with full independence of the tilting of the slats of the other section, asfrequently desirable for either opening or closing one section or the other to transmit or obstruct the light, or vary the degree of visibility through the blind with its slats in lowered position. This adjustment is accomplished by direct manual operation of the conveniently positioned turning knobs 28 and 38 at the sides of the blind, thereby eliminating, by this simple construction, the tilting control cords commonly employed, as well as the guide means therefor in the head casing. Furthermore, this advantageous construction is obtained without disturbing the arrangement or operation'of the common elevating means comprising the cords H which may be operated as usual to elevate the slats and collapse the blind as a whole against the head casing. This arrangement materiallyreduces the number of depending and unsightly control cords and otherwise enhances the appearance and convenience of the blind. While the blind has been disclosed in the'present instance with its slats grouped in but two sections, it will be understood that thenumber of sections may be increased and operated by similar means.

It willthus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein 5 pairs supporting a section of said slats and being movable independently of the other of said pairs for tilting the slats of one section independently of the slats of the other of said sections, the adjacent slats of said sections having pivot studs projecting centrally from the ends thereof, slotted links engaging the adjacent studs for pendently and collapsibly connecting the lower of said sections to the upper thereof, and a common means for elevating all of said slats to collapsed position to clear a window on which said blind is positioned.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, further comprising an adjusting knob on the pivot stud at one end of one of said adjacent slats, and a second adjusting knob on the pivot stud at the opposite end of the other one of said adjacent slats, both adjusting knobs lying beyond the respective ends of the slats so that they will not contact with any slats when the blind is collapsed and so that upon collapse of the blind the adjacent slats of the two sections will come substantially as close to each other as any two adjacent slats of either one of the two sections.

3. A multi-section Venetian blind structure including a plurality of slats in superposed rela tion to each other to form an upper blind section, a plurality of slats in superposed relation to each other to form a lower blind section, flexible supporting means for supporting the slats of the upper section from a point near the top of such section, flexible supporting means for supporting the slats of the lower section from the top slat of the lower section, link and pivot means located approximately midway of the widths of the slats for supporting the top slat of the lower section from the bottom slat of the upper section so that the top slat of the lower section may be tilted about its longitudinal axis relative to the bottom slat of the upper section, said link and pivot means being so located beyond the ends of the slats as to lie outside of the space between the top slat of the lower section and the bottom slat of the upper section so that said respective top and bottom slats of the two sections may be brought relatively tightly against each other when the blind is collapsed, means for tiltingly adjusting the slats of the lower section as a group independently of the tilting of the slats of the upper section, and means for tiltingly adjusting the slats of the upper section as a group independently of the tilting of the slats of the lower section.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, in

which said means for tiltingly adjusting the slats of the two sections includes a manually operable adjusting knob secured to one end of the lower slat of the upper section and a second manally operable adjusting knob secured to the opposite end of the upper slat of the lower section.

5. A construction as defined in claim 3, further including a spring friction washer associated with said link and pivot means to tend to maintain the upper slat of the lower section and the lower slat of the upper section frictionally in the tilted positions to which they may have been set relative to each other.

HAROLD W. FERGUSON.

SOL SCHWARTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 340,960 Stevens Apr. 27, 1886 2,276,425 Slattery Mar. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,288 Great Britain 1907 

